Musicals
Dogfight
★★★☆☆ Heartfelt
Dogfight, from Thistle N’ Thorn at Paradise in Augustines for the Fringe’s first week, is a melodic and cleverly staged production.
The Addams Family – a New Musical
★★★★★ Brilliant
Forth Children’s Theatre’s return to the Fringe, with The Addams Family – a New Musical at Broughton High School, is something to be welcomed. And they are as good as ever – if not better.
RENT
★★★★★ Passionate
Bare Productions have once again sold out their entire Fringe run before August even started – a remarkable achievement, but one which is entirely justified by the quality of this production of RENT at Paradise in Augustines .
Sunshine on Leith
★★★☆☆ Catchy tunes
Captivate Theatre’s sell out audiences for their production of Sunshine on Leith, in the Bijou Spiegel tent outside the Assembly Rooms on George Street, is testament to both the show’s popularity and the group’s reputation.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
★★★★★ Rings out
Captivate Theatre step out of their usual comfort zone of large-cast sure-fire banger hits with this production of lesser performed musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame and find themselves with, well, a sure-fire banger hit.
School of Rock
★★★★☆ Dynamic
Fringe favourites Captivate Theatre bring the musical School of Rock to the Magnusson Theatre at the Edinburgh Academy, featuring a cast of talented local children.
EdFringe 2023 Musicals & Opera
Edinburgh-made Musicals and Opera at #EdFringe 2023
As the Fringe returns from Covid, the number of Edinburgh-made musicals hasn’t quite reached the peak of 2018, but it isn’t far off with 25 productions.
Made in Dagenham
★★★★★ Undisputed excellence
An industrial dispute doesn’t sound the most promising material for a musical, but Made in Dagenham at The Brunton Theatre made my week.
The Stamping Ground
★★★★☆ Vibrant
The Stamping Ground at the Festival Theatre is unabashedly emotional and visually enthralling. Raw Material and Eden Court’s Runrig musical – which played successfully in Inverness in 2022 – is touring Scotland and will surely find appreciative audiences.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
★★★★☆ Star car
The car is, of course, the star in Southern Light Opera’s production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Festival Theatre all week, but it would be nothing without a tight and committed cast around it.
